Life After the Fire
by RTTree
Summary: This is an original story that is a fan-fiction of life as me and my friends know it. It takes elements from the "post apocalyptic" genre, while being inspired partly by books such as "Running Out of Time" by Margaret Peterson Haddix and "The Barcode Tattoo" also by Haddix. It's also been inspired by the concepts of "Micro-Housing," and "Recycled Homes." NO ZOMBIES!


When we woke up, the world was burned. The trees we lived among had been painted black, charred by the flames that licked them in the later stages of the end. Our tents were like melted flesh, the stench of their burnt forms radiating throughout what used to be our special place. And there was nothing we could do to "go back to sleep." Our eyes had been fully opened, and we were all on our own. The question was: Were we together, or on our own?

Ren let out a distressed sigh as she already felt the glaring sun on her fair skin. It was like the world had gotten ten degrees hotter over night, and it seemed to be at least ninety by eight in the morning. The world around her was silent, bringing a sense of intense loneliness to her heart, the scent of cooked flesh being prominent as she dared to step off of the pavement and into the thin woods that were parallel to the world she'd always known and felt comfort in. These things combined made her feel psychologically ill.

"Ren?" she heard a distant call. "Ren?!" The young woman turned to the trail from whence she'd come and relaxed as she saw Miya, her Kohai, her underling. The younger girl seemed relaxed even though the world was dead and rotting. Even alone and searching for her superior, she looked rather calm.

"Over here!" Ren finally responded, untying her hoodie from her waist. She'd forgotten about it, and although it was rather balmy, she'd much rather avoid skin cancer down the road. "Miya, to your left!" she called again, trying to get the girl in the right direction as she donned her sweatshirt.

When Miya spotted Ren, the smile that graced her lips made Ren's heart light. It was a very welcome sight when contrasted and framed by blackened trees and half-cooked carcasses. "Careful not to step on the critters... It's bad enough that the smell makes me want to go vegan..." Ren's teeth felt soft and twisted at the thought of eating wild animals that had died in an attempt to escape the hell that wiped out their world. It immediately made the light feeling in her heart turn sour, which earned yet another sigh.

Miya, doing as she was told, was careful of where she stepped. When the girl made it to her "Senpai," she gave a tight hug around the waist and rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder. "Senpai, why did this happen? How did it even start?" As she asked these questions that Ren couldn't even hope to answer, her eyes traveled the expanse before her. Trees, scorched, fallen, some still smoking. Ropes that had once kept a potted plant suspended had long since melted, leaving the pot cracked and probably still too hot to handle. The plants the girls and their friends had once planted were nowhere to be seen, also victim of the vicious fire that had swept through the area, and there was no evidence of "the spot" aside from the lone piece of broken pottery, and the fact that the two were standing under, what used to be, the only opening in which unfiltered light could come through.

"Miya, my cherub, my darling, my love... I wish I could tell you who, what, when, where, why, and how this happened. You know me, I practically _need_ to know everything, always, and I'm afraid I don't even know... I just... I can't. I'm 'can't-ing' all over this. It's simply... surreal. Haunting," Ren closed her eyes and rested her chin on her underling's head. The smell of natural skin oils were prominent, and made it obvious that her friend was in need of a good bathe. "We should find a place to clean up. We both need showers if we're gonna start feeling any better about any of this, y'know?" She held Miya at arm's length as she finished the statement and offered a sheepish smile. A half-hearted attempt to make things seem easier, simpler than they were going to become.

Before the younger of the two could respond, they were scared by the sickening squelch of a crushed body, an immediate sign of being joined. Ren pulled a knife from her pocket and flicked it open, her eyes dilated as a rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins. Upon seeing Emlet, Bailey, and Siren, Ren, more so than Miya, dropped her guard. "Ya'll scared the s**t out of me! Sweet mother of Jesus," she breathed, putting her knife away. "What's up?"

Emlet laughed at Ren's jumpy behavior and gave a toothy grin. "That was kind of funny, not gonna lie! I thought you'd be here though. No ants?" she questioned, looking around on the ground.

"None that I've seen. Maybe they all got cooked and I'll never have to worry about them ever again!" Ren half joked. That would be ideal, but she knew it was more than likely impossible. She looked around the ground too, having not truly paid attention to where she was going. The non-existent spot was more of a concern for her. "Our rope and tarps... They're all gone. It's a good thing we didn't have any tents up though, right?"

Emlet and Siren shared a glance before looking back at Ren. "Actually..." Siren began.

"You're kidding..."

Emlet interjected, knowing she'd explain the situation better. "We only had two tents out! We still have the 'taj mahal,' but it's at Cinder's and Amaryllis should be there even if Cinders isn't."

"Your wheels not melted into the tar?"

"My bike stayed inside the entire time, so if the tires are melted, there's gonna be a serious issue!"

Ren smiled and turned to address everyone in a one go. "Okay, Siren, please keep an eye on Miya and Bailey. I know y'all don't think it's necissary, but we don't know what's going on yet fo' sho', ya dig?"

"Ren, stop talking ghetto-" Bailey tried to interject but was stopped.

"Hush: I'll do what I want! Bailey, please listen to Siren. Miya, before you try to come with Emlet and I: unless you have a bike, I'd rather you stay here. You guys can fight together if something happens, as where Emlet and I are probably better prepared to take someone down even if we're alone. Got it? I want to be extra cautious, ya'll know me enough to know I'm paranoid about safety, and given that none of us know what the heck's going on, it's much smarter to be safe than sorry!" Ren finally paused to take a breath. Being called "motor mouth" when she was young seemed grossly inaccurate now, but it could be the fact that she carried extra weight on her chest now (literally). Then again, the smoke and ash could just as easily be an issue here as well.

Miya made a comically horrified face, eyes wide and mouth agape. "B-But Senpai!" She hugged her superior again, which was met by gentle stroking of the hair.

"Miya, please go with Siren and Bailey. You'll be able to shower and assess things on the 'home front' while Emlet and I go for Cinders and Amaryllis. We'll bring them over and what-not and figure out what to do then!"

The younger girl pouted in a final attempt to sway her friend, but there was no give. Ren's decision was final. "We can get Nude if the machines are still working!"

At the offer of Nude, a blended fruit and veggie drink, the Kohai perked up. Ren could almost imagine the ears and tail on the girl twitching and wagging with excitement at the prospect. "Promise?!"

"If the machines are working. If not, it's a cash-only situation, and I can't get anything because online banking is a butter-milk sucking brat like that." Ren's attempts to censor her cussing were silly, but it's all she could to to try and make everything seem more light-hearted.

With an immediate plan, the group split up. Emlet and Ren headed in the general direction of Cinders and Amaryllis' home while Siren, Bailey, and Miya went to Siren's house to prepare and plan farther.

* * *

><p>It was quickly established that cell towers and wireless communications weren't running efficiently. Things were slow, laggy, and sometimes didn't go through. Ren even went as far as spending an hour trying to get through to her friend Oz, who lived across the country, and his synopsis of the situation on his end was blatantly clear to her that something was very wrong. After inviting him over, and receiving a promise of "I'll be there when I can," Ren broke the news to Emlet. "Something's happened across the country, and I have a feeling it's on a much larger scale. Like... World wide, God forbid it be 'worst case scenario.' I'm not gonna lie though... I'm a bit scared. Like, legitimately afraid for not just myself, but all of us. I mean, we always talked about being homeless, and 'If there was a real zombie apocalypse,' but this might seriously be happening. Just... Without the zombies."<p>

"What the hell, did someone drop a nuke or something?" Emlet slowed her bike to match Ren's slower pace.

"I don't know, but if someone did we're all S-O-L! Radiation will spread and probably melt our skin off! Or we'll all just get really, _really_ sick while 'important people' like the president are in a quarter mile thick, lead and concrete, radiation proof bunker with a decade's worth of food and what-not. I mean, for real..."

Emlet laughed sarcastically at the comment. It was probably true. "Maybe it's just some freak thing happening in North America only. Like... Maybe some supernatural lightning storm set fires across the continent and caused massive wildfires that couldn't be contained!"

The chit-chatting was interrupted by Ren halting her bike, nearly sending herself over the handlebars. "Holy f**k! Oh my f**k**g God!"

Emlet caught sight of what Ren was freaking out about and came to a stop too. Both of them shared a horrified and concerned glance before looking back at what was before them. "I... I know I have a demented sense of humor sometimes, and that I often have horrific thoughts like 'what if dead body, blah blah blah,' but... I... I never thought I'd actually see one. I didn't think that I'd..." Ren felt ill, but her mouth was so dry she couldn't see herself being able to vomit. Her throat seemed too tight too anyway.

"Ren, I swear to God. The _one time_ you don't make a statement about finding bodies... The _one time_, and there's bodies everywhere. Do you think this is the only human one or...?"

Ren forced herself to look away. She'd handled dead animals before, including a freshly dead bird once. But for some reason, seeing a deaf human that wasn't full of embalming fluid was a much scarier thing to even bare witness to. "I think we should keep going. There's too much to figure out... Speaking of which, I'm surprised people aren't on the road! Where the hell are the police! The fire marshals! You'd think maybe an ambulance or two, right? This can't be the only dead person!" Ren heard Emlet pull away and followed, avoiding making eye contact with the corpse that was half in the road.

"I think we might be in trouble if we get caught by anyone. It's like... dead silent. How is it that the world around is all 'post-apocalyptic,' and people aren't running around and raiding s**t? I mean, are you kidding me?! Where's the chaos and murder and crap! I want my money back!" The two shared a laugh, Ren having chosen to ignore the death pun. "For real, I was expecting much more violent-" a loud sound rang through the empty streets, bidding the two to a halt.

"Gun shot?"

"Gun shot."

"Fun fact: never bring a knife to a gun fight! We might wanna lay low..." Ren pointed out, finding it impossible to pinpoint the source of the wretched sound. "I've only ever been shot by paint-balls. In the ribs no less, and it wasn't something I'd like to repeat; let alone have the same done with real bullets."

"Yeah, no, that'd really suck. Especially because everyone like... Looks up to you a lot and stuff. I mean, not that you're some sort of God, but let's face it! You're the oldest, and you're the voice of reason a good portion of the time. Cinders and Siren won't listen to me half the time! Only the chitlins do, and even then: Amaryllis is very opinionated, so if she feels that she's right: she's right, and she'll be damned if anyone will tell her what to do."

Ren let out a laugh and regretted it instantly. It echoed through the seemingly abandoned area, sending a chill down her spine. "I think we should go, like... now. Like... take the long way."

Emlet nodded and the two turned, backtracking. "It's like that one time we were walking all night!" A grin took over her face and Ren recalled the fond memories.

"Ah yes, back-tracking all night until damn near seven in the morning!" She remembered being afraid when she heard people coming down the bike trail. She remembered being ready to cut someone, literally, if they dared jump her or her friend. "It sucks we didn't have a larger group that night. It was hella fun!" Using the word "hella" seemed strange to Ren, and probably seemed stranger to Emlet, but it was something Emlet said often during their conversations in the past, so it seemed necessary. The reminicing was very short lived as another shot went off in the far and growing distance. "I should try and call them-"

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea," Emlet agreed before Ren could finish. And so began another hour of bike-riding and attempting to call Siren and the others for Ren.

* * *

><p>By the time they'd made it to Cinders' and Amaryllis's, they were sweaty, exhausted, and getting sun burnt. Ren had given up on her hoodie, and thrown it over her shoulders in an attempt to at least lessen the damage, but Emlet was fully exposed to the damaging rays. Her face was red, her shoulders were read, and it was only a matter of time before it would probably blister.<p>

"Emlet, we need to find you sunblock..."

"Meh, I'll be fine without it. Maybe I'll tan!" Ren shook her head at Emlet's response and stood her bike at the end of Cinders' driveway. Emlet followed suit.

The two knocked on the front door as loudly as they could, afraid they'd bloody their knuckles if they continued. Eventually, Cinders answered, hair a mess, eyes puffy, and face streaked with what could only be eyeliner or mascara from the previous night. "Long night?" Ren asked, somewhat perplexed.

"No, I had a horrifying dream, and I kinda wanna know if you'd mind interpreting it. It's really short..."

"Does it involve the world ending in a fiery blaze and everyone dying off?"

The disheveled girl looked somewhere between distraught and amazed. "How did you even...?"

"Have you even looked out a window? Holy s**t!" Emlet exclaimed, almost irritated. "That was no f**k**g dream!"

"What?!" Cinders pushed her way through the girls, only to be greeted by a wasteland. The trees in her front yard were dry, but not burnt like those of the forest. The grass was brown and yellow, and the tar was radiating heat that could probably cook eggs _and _a side of bacon. "What happened?! One good storm and the entire state will be on fire!"

Emlet answered before Ren, trying to emphasize that no one knew. "Nobody knows, Cinders! Nobody f**k**g knows! Also, 'The Spot' is totally gone! It looks like someone set the whole trail on fire or something, and it's really ugly. Dead birds, dead squirrels, dead.. I don't even want to know what else, but I stepped on one earlier, and let me tell you, none of it was fully cooked!"

Emlet's description made Ren gag. Remembering the unearthly sound the carcass made brought back the sight of the corpse on the side of the road, which in turn made her imagine what ungodly sound the corpse would make if stepped on, or worse: what sound would it make if it were run over? The thoughts made Ren dry-heave, causing her eyes to water, and her nose to burn slightly as her airways prepared for the worst. "Could we not talk about this? We need to get supplies and evaluate the situation..."

Emlet and Cinders apologized, having witnessed Ren's reaction. "What all do you need?" Cinders asked casually. It was clear she wasn't taking any part of their current situation seriously.

"We need the big tent, and any others i you can find any. In fact, we need anything and everything camping related, just in case... Hardware and building supplies would be nice too!" Ren grabbed a dusty note-pad and a half-exploded pen from the work-bench that was in Cinders' open garage. "Let me write some stuff down. It'll be a mass scavenger hunt! We could bring stuff back to Siren's apartment, and then-"

"They could get the close stuff, we could get the farther stuff!" Cinders had caught on finally.

"Exactly!" Emlet agreed, obviously favoring this idea. "If we could get the right things, we could even build, like... tree houses or something!"

"In this state?" Ren questioned, giving the youngest of the group a stupid look.

"Yeah! If we find a way to make a lightning rod, we should be safe! Not to mention, a tree house isn't required to be at the top of a tree!"

"Yeah, but most of the trail was burnt!" Ren reminded.

"It doesn't have to be the trail!" Cinders added.

Amaryllis joined them just in time for Ren to have an epiphany. "I know what we could do!" she shouted. Amaryllis pressed herself back against the door that she'd just come from, eyes wide as she saw the dry death that surrounded her home.

Cinders and Emlet decided to collectively explain while Ren finished the list. The long, and still growing list.

* * *

><p>The group collectively searched the garage taking as much as the could each carry on their backs, bikes, and hands. Ren made it clear that they had to be quiet as they traveled, and before leaving, the two new members packed bags of clothing in the event that returning wasn't an option.<p>

As they rode, the breeze was enough to soothe the burns that were quickly forming on the oldest, and now second youngest, of the group. The sun still beat down with a vengeance though, especially as high noon came around. Stacks of smoke began to litter the horizon, causing the seeds of worry to sprout in everyone's stomachs. What was on fire? Would they be forced to detour again? How long would the world be like this? Would it ever be the same? Only time could tell...


End file.
